Two Police Officers Sentenced to 13 Years for Narcotics Trafficking
Tema Circuit Court Hands Jail Terms and Heavy Fines to Two Police Officers for Drug Trafficking
- Two police officers, ASP Nasiru Amadu and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah, sentenced to a combined 13 years for narcotics trafficking.
- Officers intercepted with 541 compressed parcels of suspected drugs while transporting them from Volta Region to Accra.
- Both officers fined GH¢120,000 each, or face an additional three years in prison if unpaid.
A Circuit Court in Tema has sentenced two police officers to a combined 13 years in prison for unlawful possession and conspiracy to traffic narcotics.
The court, presided over by Her Ladyship Aleanor Kakra Barnes Botchway, convicted Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nasiru Amadu and Corporal Emmanuel Mintah after nearly four years of trial.
Details of the Case
The case, prosecuted by ASP Ernest Kuofie, began in 2023 when an officer at the Afienya District Police Command reported suspicious activities involving the two officers. At the time, Amadu, 48, was the second-in-command at Sakumono District Police Headquarters, while Mintah, 43, served as his service driver.
On November 19, 2023, intelligence led officers on snap-check duty to intercept a Nissan Navara (GP 727) transporting narcotics from Ho to Accra. A search revealed eight sacks containing 541 compressed parcels of suspected narcotics.
Investigations further revealed that Mintah had been contracted by a relative, known as “Oluman”, a resident of Ashaiman Tulaku and a known narcotics dealer, to transport Indian hemp from Peki Tsibu in the Volta Region to Tulaku. ASP Amadu also communicated with “Oluman” to finalize the arrangement.
The officers drove the vehicle from Sakumono to a forest near Peki Tsibu to collect the drugs from a Benz bus and were arrested on their return to Accra. It later emerged that this was the second time they had engaged in such operations.
The Forensic Crime Laboratory confirmed the seized substances as narcotics.
Court Ruling
The court ruled that the officers unlawfully possessed narcotics for trafficking, contrary to Section 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960, and Section 37(2)(b) of the Narcotic Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019).
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ASP Nasiru Amadu was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
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Corporal Emmanuel Mintah was sentenced to 5 years, to run concurrently.
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Both officers were fined 10,000 penalty units (GH¢120,000 each), or in default, serve an additional three years in prison.
The ruling underscores Ghana’s commitment to holding law enforcement personnel accountable in the fight against narcotics trafficking.
